This latest version of Garmin's premium Fenix outdoor watch introduces a potentially lifesaving capability: phone-free messaging and emergency alerts using 4G LTE or satellite connections.
This Fenix 8 Pro enhances the already impressive Fenix 8 by incorporating new cellular technology, plus an available advanced microLED screen in a limited edition. This is Garmin's premier model and designed to be the single tool needed to explore almost any location and monitor every activity.
That positions it as an very expensive proposition, starting at £1,030 (€1,200, $1,200, A$2,300) for the 47mm OLED model and climbing to a colossal £1,730 (€2,000/$2,000/A$3,399) for the 51mm edition with microLED screen – almost twice the cost of the regular Fenix 8.
Users receive a significant functionality for your money, with industry-leading fitness, activity and outdoor tracking. Its full offline maps of the globe can seamlessly guide you back to the path if you get lost without a phone, and look excellent on the large, crisp and super-bright touchscreen.
This Fenix 8 Pro is only available in 47mm or 51mm case dimensions, not the more compact 43mm version found in other models, so it is a big watch for bigger wrists. However the 47mm OLED version as reviewed boasts an additional day of watch battery life despite the display always active, lasting a reliable eight to nine days between charges.
Phone-Free Texting, Calls and Real-Time Location
The company uses its proprietary inReach LTE (4G) and orbital subscription service rather than relying on a watch plan linked to your mobile carrier, like other smartwatches. But in contrast to competing satellite-capable devices, SOS communication is not included for free.
Rather, subscriptions start at £7.99 or equivalent a month, which provides limitless LTE SMS and voice messages, calls and LiveTrack location sharing – so your contacts or loved ones can keep an eye on you while engaged in running, biking or comparable pursuits – plus emergency orbital SOS alerts.
Location updates and texts over orbital are then billed on top, with more expensive plans including various quotas of satellite use, climbing to a £50 a month all-inclusive plan. The watch comes with a 30-day free trial so you can evaluate the functionality.
Once you have got it set up, you just head out outside minus your phone and the watch will link to LTE. You cannot use it for playing music or comparable tasks, but you are able to place and receive calls, send texts and generally keep in touch with your family and companions.
Whenever you text someone, Garmin sends them an SMS from a arbitrary number, which they can reply to back to your watch. If they download the Garmin Messenger app, you can then communicate reciprocally via text or spoken communications, and initiate voice calls. Your contact does not need a Garmin account to use the Messenger app, just a mobile number is enough to sign up for texts.
Texting on the watch functions fine but composing texts on the tiny on-screen keyboard is slow. It includes a collection of customisable canned responses you can send to speed things up. Voice messages and calls work OK, though as with the majority of smartwatches, you’re not going to want to use it for lengthy discussions as the audio clarity is less than fantastic.
LiveTrack is the most useful feature. You can set it up to automatically send a URL to selected contacts whenever you start an activity, so they can follow your real time position on a map. It’s great for monitoring race progress, but it primarily serves as a tool for someone you trust to know your whereabouts in case an incident occurs. It has typically functioned effectively, although the real position has sometimes lagged when moving in and out of strong LTE coverage.
These features are available on other Garmin devices if you carry your phone with you, but in areas where LTE does not reach, the satellite activates on the Fenix 8 Pro to send texts, location updates and emergency SOS.
A guide shows you how to locate the clear view to the orbital system, which then transmits and gets messages within about 10 to 30 seconds. It was unexpectedly easy to use and could be a vital safety feature, though it is important to remember that orbital service is limited to the US continent, most of Canada, and most of Europe excluding regions of Scandinavia north of 65 degrees north.
Environmental Impact
The watch is generally repairable with services offered through the support site. The battery is certified to retain at least 90% of its original power after two years of regular charging. The watch does not contain any reused components. Garmin provides disposal schemes on new purchases.
Cost
The Fenix 8 Pro is priced from £1,029.99 (€1,199.99/$1,199.99/A$2,299). The additional Garmin inReach subscription packages begin from £7.99 (€9.99/$7.99/A$13.50).
Verdict
This Fenix 8 Pro takes a fantastic adventure watch in the regular Fenix 8 and adds LTE for texting, calls and LiveTrack – plus satellite messaging, check-in and emergency SOS for when you’re out of coverage.
Outcome is an increasingly remarkable adventure device for those that desire to be unplugged. If you want to have someone monitor you remotely while running out at night or in the middle of nowhere, the Garmin does so without requiring additional gear.
It is very freeing to be outside without a phone, but that functionality comes at a significant cost, both in terms of the colossal price of the watch and the recurring subscription of the inReach plan to enable the service. At least it isn’t reliant on your phone provider so functions with any brand of smartphone and carrier.
The Fenix 8 Pro is a top-tier device for someone who hates being weighed down by their phone when jogging, cycling or trekking, but still desires to be trackable and contactable. For everyone else, it is a significant money when the excellent Fenix 8 already exists.
Advantages: LTE and satellite communication, super-bright OLED screen, tracks everything with best-in-class GPS, integrated torch, voice and standalone commands, 8+ day endurance, Garmin Pay, full offline maps and routes, offline Spotify, 100-metre water resistance and 40-metre underwater use, buttons and touch.
Cons: extremely expensive, LTE and orbital features need ongoing payment, restricted Garmin Pay bank compatibility, voice capabilities are slow, limited smartwatch features versus Apple/Google/Samsung watches.
